A 24-year-old man has been arrested and a second person is still at large after a security guard was shot early Tuesday morning during an apparent robbery attempt in College Park, University of Maryland police said.

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Police said the incident occurred around 1:12 a.m. at the UMUC Inn and Conference Center by Marriott.

Maryland police received a call of a shooting at College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, where a male security officer was shot during a commercial armed robbery.

"It wasn't a random act. It was targeted. It was planned. They were armed. They used deadly force," University of Maryland Police Department Chief David B. Mitchell said.

Mitchell said the assailants shot the unarmed guard inside the loading dock after coming in through the back of the hotel and making it out with three portable safes. Three safes were taken and later recovered near the facility, along with a handgun, police said.

"They, in fact, made good their escape with several safes after shooting the security officer. They discarded the safes and at least one handgun that we believe was used in this shooting in the bushes across the street," Mitchell said.

The guard was taken to a hospital and is in critical condition, police said.

The hotel is located at a busy intersection of University Boulevard, Adelphi Road and Campus Drive. It's well-traveled by pedestrians, many of whom live across the street.

"They heard shooting yesterday and there were a lot of police here," said Archana Soundararajan, a graduate student.

"I just saw a lot of policemen here, and people maybe being questioned. (It's) sad that this happened," said Teresa Alvarez, a neighbor.

"It's always reassuring when you get the all clear, but it is definitely a little disorienting, and they're like, 'We think that they've left the area,'" said Christine Dong, a graduate student.

A Prince George's County K-9 unit found one of the suspects in the woods across the street.

Investigators hope one of the more than 400 security cameras aimed at the campus will help them make a second arrest in the case.

Police are hoping that, after surgery, the guard can help better identify the second suspect.

Police described the suspect who remains at large as a man, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 180 to 200 pounds and last seen wearing a face mask, long-sleeved blue shirt, yellow gloves, dark blue or black pants and brown hiking boots.

Anyone with information on the case or the second person is asked to call University of Maryland police at 301-405-3555.

WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Kate Amara contributed to this report

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